WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Linda S?°nchez returned to Washington from California during the Congressional work period to avert the layoffs of teachers, firefighters, and police."Many local communities in California have had to choose between important public services - like keeping teachers in the classrooms or keeping police officers on the beat in our neighborhoods," said S?°nchez. "I came back to Washington this week to stand with working families for a fiscally responsible solution - keeping our children out of overcrowded classrooms and our families protected in their homes and communities."
The House reconvened this week to take up emergency aid, H.R. 1586, which will save and create almost 320,000 jobs - including saving the jobs of 16,500 teachers in California and 307 jobs in the 39th District¬¨¬¨ - and prevent the layoffs of tens of thousands of police officers, firefighters, and nurses.
The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act is not only completely paid for, it also reduces the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years-in part by closing a loophole that actually encourages corporations to ship American jobs overseas.
The legislation provides $10 billion in funding to save more than 160,000 teacher jobs. It also provides $16.1 billion in health assistance to the states that, by reducing shortfalls and stimulating the economy, will save and create 158,000 jobs, including preventing the layoffs of police officers and firefighters, as well as creating private-sector jobs throughout our economy.
The House also approved H.R. 6080, the 2010 Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Bill, which provides over $240 million to hire 1,000 new Border Patrol agents to permanently patrol our southern border and 250 new Customs and Border Protection agents for our ports of entry. It will also create a "strike force" that will be deployed in different areas of the Southwest border depending on where the need is greatest at any particular moment.
"By expanding investments in border security, improving our surveillance efforts, and beefing up anti-smuggling investigations, we are tackling our national security challenges head on," said S?°nchez. "Strengthening border security is one of the central pillars of bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform. I'm glad we could come together to pass this important legislation today but hope we continue to work on other key components of comprehensive reform."
H.R. 6080 must now be approved by the Senate before it can be signed into law by the President.
Contributed by the office of Rep. Linda Sanchez.